Battle of the sciences

Physicist Katie Mack has more than 194,000 followers on twitter.@AstroKatie

But then equally (or more - depending upon opinion) successful communicators come from other disciplines.

Dr Karl began in physics but then studied biomedical engineering and medicine. Adam Spencer is a mathematician. Bill Nye is a mechanical engineer. Jane Goodall is a primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist.

Arguably the most inspiring science communicator, David Attenborough, has a degree in the natural sciences.

Sorry physics, seems it is not about you.

And – no offence intended – none of the other communicators listed are known for being in a rock band or having great hair either.

There seems to be some kind of ‘X factor’ which makes these people great communicators. If we can identify the qualities of these science communication stars, can we find - or create - the Next Big Thing?

Telling a good story

What each of the communicators listed above have in common is their ability to tell a story.

A recent opinion piece in a science journal challenged scientists to borrow strategies from the arts and humanities and use the power of the narrative. Better yet, employ techniques that create an emotional response in the audience.

The confirmation of gravitational waves is a story spanning decades of hard work, disappointment, setbacks and eventual elation. The triumph of human exertions. In contrast, Zika evokes fear and the desire to protect oneself and others.

For most people, gravitational waves and Zika will have little to no relevance or impact on their everyday lives. However, the stories created an opportunity to engage audiences through the emotional responses they evoked.

Focus on your audience

Researcher Bobby Cerini interviewed prominent science communicators from around the world, including some of those listed above. She found common themes in how these “scientific superstars” approach their public communication.

They focus on who they are talking to, what language their audience will understand, and what they will find most interesting or inspiring. The most compelling communicators are the ones who can take you on a journey, making the intangible tangible and the complex comprehensible.

The popular Christmas Lectures at the Royal Institution UK are based on this approach. They were introduced by Michael Faraday in 1825 as a means of engaging a younger audience with “spectacular demonstrations”.

So are these celebrity scientists born naturally gifted storytellers who can effortlessly translate their work to meet the needs of multiple audiences? Or do they achieve their status by putting themselves out there, learning from their experiences and simply practising?